Unexpected Friendship
by HonoraryAvenger
Summary: Sam and Dean were out, and she was just being nosey. Maria finds a guest in the bunker that she never knew was there. They become friends, and then Sam finds out. A oneshot from my "Friends Don't End with Blood" universe. Set after the epilogue. M for language.


**Here is my latest oneshot in my "Family Doesn't End with Blood" universe. **

**Maria and Crowley centered. Set after the Epilogue.**

**Enjoy!**

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Maria had the bunker to herself. The guys had all decided to go to the bar and she wasn't in the mood to join them.

Instead, she decided to explore the lesser known areas of the bunker. She had lived there for a little over a year and had yet to discover some of the hidden rooms.

She started in at a door off of the kitchen. The door led to a set of stairs and she followed them down. When she reached the bottom, she was faced with another door, which she opened to reveal a huge storage room. Hundreds of boxes were stacked on high shelves.

She approached on, and took out a file to thumb through.

"Men of Letters: Case #256, Legend of the Wichtlein." She read out loud.

"Hello?" She dropped the folder in surprise when she heard the pleading voice. "Is anyone out there? I need help!"

She followed the voice, and it led her to a wall. She didn't understand. The voice sounded like it was coming from behind it. There were no other doors but this one when she came down the stairs.

"Hello?" She called out tentatively.

"Oh thank god!" The man said, in a tense accent. "Please, you have to help me. The wall opens out! You have to hurry!"

Maria looked for something to pull, and decided on a little hole. She hooked her finger in and pulled, surprised to see the wall gave in to her demands. It opened and Maria saw a dark haired man sitting at a table with chains around his neck.

Before she could rush to him to free him, she noticed the same symbol on the ground that she had on her wrist.

"You're a demon. That's why you can't get out."

The man looked at her curiously. "You're not as stupid as you look."

She crossed her arms. "Who are you?"

"I am Crowley, King of Hell." He said with a dramatic flourish.

"Oh, I've heard about you. Except you're not exactly King anymore." Maria said. "Last I checked, Abbadon is doing your job for you."

"That bitch," he spat. "Is a worthless excuse for a demon."

"Agreed, but she's not the one tied up. How long have you been down here anyway?"

"Too long. I'm surprised the Winchesters haven't told you about their little pet yet. Only here for when they need something." Crowley said. "Unless you're their new pet. What's your name, dear?"

"Maria."

"Well, Maria, which of the brothers blackmailed you into their bed?"

"Not that it's any of your concern, but neither of them blackmailed me. More like, I blackmailed them." Maria told him.

"Where are the obnoxious bastards anyway? Did they send you down to torture me with all of your talking?" Crowley looked around her to see if there was a tall moose lurking.

"It's just me. I was exploring when I heard you." Maria told him. "I'm not going to torture you. And I can go…"

"No, no… you can stay if you want. No one's spoken to me in months. A little conversation never hurt anybody."

After that day, Maria would venture down to visit Crowley when Sam was gone, or otherwise occupied. She would bring tea for them both, and would talk for an hour or so before she went back upstairs. They would talk about nonessential things, like the news or the weather. Sometimes Crowley told her about his past human life, and Maria would tell him a bit about her favorite hobby, shooting her bow.

Maria knew that Crowley contained knowledge that could help them in deciphering the Angel Tablet and hoped to gain enough of his trust for him to help her. But she really did enjoy their talks and found that it was a very pleasant, albeit unexpected, friendship.

Perhaps that was why she hadn't told Sam about their secret meetings. He would take it the wrong way and Maria would lose all of her progress.

Sam was out on a hunt but was expected to be back that day so Maria knew her trip to see Crowley would be short. She made him a cup of tea and traveled down the stairs to his room (cell?).

"Ah, Maria." He said as way of a greeting.

"Good Afternoon, Crowley." She placed the tea in front of him and sat down in her usual chair, careful not to break the sigil.

"How's the moose? Has he trampled you yet?"

"Sam is good." Maria said with a smile. "Actually, he's due back today."

"Still doesn't know about us, I see." Crowley raised an eyebrow.

Maria shot him a look. "There's no need for him to be concerned. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"I knew this day would come." Crowley said, and Maria could hear the slight bitterness in his voice. "I knew you only visited me because you wanted something from me."

"Crowley, you know that isn't true." Maria said sternly. "I've enjoyed our talks very much. I like that I'm able to bring out the human part in you, even if it's only for me to see." Crowley looked thoughtful for a moment, and then motioned for her to continue. "We are slaving away up there. Poor Kevin hasn't slept well in weeks. We aren't any closer to getting the angels back in heaven and it's frustrating everyone. They're running amuck here on earth."

"And what's in it for me? The longer the angels are running around ruining things, the worse off the Winchesters are."

"They're killing your kind…ruthlessly. And Abbadon is doing nothing about it. She keeps sending troops of demons to fight to their deaths. It's starting to look more and more like an all-out war between angels and demons up here and your side is losing, horribly. And the angels don't even have a leader. They're just bitter and are taking it out on your kind. If we get the angels back, I won't promise it'll stop, because I can't know that for sure. But there will be less here on earth, and your demons will go back to doing whatever the hell it is they do, with nothing more than the Winchesters to hunt them." Maria said.

"You bring up interesting points. But none of which involves me."

"Crowley, you know I can't promise your freedom." Maria said slowly. "But we can work at that one step at a time. As of right now, the boys are looking into killing Abbadon. And that's the only promise that I can make you."

"I'll think about it, Maria. In the meantime, it sounds like your moose is home." Crowley told her finishing the rest of his tea and handing her the mug. "Thank you for the tea."

She left him and made sure to close the wall before sprinting up the stairs. Luckily, Sam was not in the kitchen and Maria placed the two mugs in the sink. She felt terribly guilty for lying to him.

"Hey baby," She heard from the doorway. She spun and flung herself into her boyfriend's arms.

"Oh I missed you!" She exclaimed, peppering his face with kisses. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No, Dean's the one who got cut pretty good. But Cas is attending to those, himself." He said with a slight grimace and Maria laughed.

"It's been almost a year. It's time to get over it."

"Yeah, I…know…" His words cut off as he looked around the kitchen. Maria saw his gaze fall to the open door and then to the sink, where two mugs lay. She cursed herself for her carelessness. Sam was extremely intelligent and it wouldn't take long for him to put the pieces together. "Maria," He said her name angrily. "What did you do?"

"It's not what you think…" She said frantically.

"I fucking hope not." His voice had dropped to a dangerous level. He stomped over and closed the door. "Maria, how long have you known?"

"A few weeks." She said shamefully.

"A few…" He said breathlessly. "A few weeks? And you didn't tell me?"

"You didn't take the time to tell me that you were harboring a demon in the basement!"

"For your own fucking protection!" Sam growled. "And to find out you've been speaking to him, bringing him tea, for Christ's sake? Goddammit Maria, how could you be so reckless?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm doing it to help Cas."

Sam apparently didn't like that answer because he grabbed her arm and took her into the living area. She threw his hand off and pierced him with a glare. If he wasn't so angry at her, he would've been frightened.

"Dean!" He barked.

Dean came running into the room, pulling on a shirt. He didn't cover the large bandage over his chest in time for Maria to miss it. She felt a pang of worry for the man she considers her older brother.

Castiel was hot on his heels.

"What's happened?" Dean asked as he regarded the angry look on both of their faces.

"Maria has been talking with Crowley, and bringing him tea." Sam all but shouted.

Dean looked incredulously at her. "How'd you even know about him?"

"I was down in the basement one day and he was crying out for help." Maria said.

"How could you be so stupid?" Dean asked loudly.

Maria stood up, beyond angry. She was not a child and she did not take being treated like one, lightly. "First of all, don't you dare call me stupid or reckless or any other thing that is running around in your heads. I am not any of those things. Crowley is still locked up, exactly where you found him. Secondly, yes, I bring him tea and hold civilized conversations with him. I believe that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar which is exactly what I'm trying to do. So before you judge my motives, let me lay them out for the both of you. I am trying to help Castiel. Don't you think I see how crazy everyone is becoming to get Cas his grace back? Kevin barely sleeps and I can hardly get him to eat a piece of toast let alone a proper meal. Everyone is always fighting and you three are gone all the time because the angels have completely lost their fucking minds. I am trying to get Crowley to trust me enough to give me information, or to at least translate some of what Kevin found. I'm not being unfaithful, and I never lied. Not once. If you had asked, I would have told you. And the reason I didn't, was because I knew this is how you would have reacted and you would have ruined all of the progress I have made. So, once you two get your heads out of your asses, then you can come speak to me." She shot each of them a dirty look, before stomping off to her old bedroom.

She couldn't relax, and took to pacing around the room in a rage. How dare they call her stupid and reckless when all she was doing was helping!

There was a knock on the door. "Unless you're here to apologize, I don't want to hear it!"

"It's me," Cas said from the other side of the door.

She unlocked it without hesitation and opened it. He gathered her into his arms and she finally let the anger subside.

"I'm sorry about them. They can get so irrationally angry at times." He said when they finally let go of each other.

"It's not your fault, Cas." Maria told him. She shut the door and motioned for him to sit.

"Well, I wanted to say thank you. Although you did risk your safety by talking to Crowley, I appreciate the lengths you've gone to help me."

"I would do anything, Castiel." She grabbed his hand. "And I wasn't in any immediate danger. I'm actually quite sure that Crowley enjoyed our time together."

"I wouldn't tell Sam that." He warned gently.

She stood, once again angry. "And so what if I do. I like talking to Crowley. Kevin's been locked in his room so often and you three are always off on cases. I'm lonely, Cas! I love Sam, with my whole heart, but until this angel mess is cleared up, he has not been able to give me his whole heart." And there is was. The other reason she wanted Crowley's help. She hung her head in embarrassment.

"Maria, that is nothing to be ashamed of." Castiel told her. "You've given me so much advice, let me return the favor."

She nodded and sat down next to him.

"You need to talk to Sam. I know he misses you just as much. On hunts, he's always quiet and checking his phone. He hates leaving you so often. I don't know if he's told you any of this but I know that if you don't tell him how you feel, it'll never get fixed. Dean and I can handle the hunts by ourselves for a bit if you guys need time. But please don't hold this Crowley mess against him. He loves you and he just wants to make sure you're safe. He knows how Crowley is, and he can manipulate people very easily. Sam's only looking out for you. Same for Dean and me."

"Thank you, Cas." She said quietly. She kissed his cheek. "I think I needed to hear that."

There was another knock on the door. "Come in."

Sam and Dean stood in the doorway, shamefaced.

"We're sorry that we overreacted." Sam said.

"And that we called you stupid, reckless, and suicidal." Dean continued.

"You never called me suicidal."

"We thought it." Dean muttered and Sam elbowed him in his shoulder.

Maria couldn't stop the chuckle. She patted Castiel's hand and stood up to approach the brothers.

"You two are idiots, but luckily, I love you, so apology accepted." She leaned up to kiss their cheeks. "Now, I've practically convinced Crowley to help us, so if you two are through being overprotective, I'd like to see if we can get Cas his grace back."

They both grumbled but eventually agreed. "With one condition," Sam said. "I want to be down in the basement when you're talking to him."

Maria shook her head. "No go. He'd know you were down there. We need to keep up the charade that you bunch know nothing about it. He trusts me, not you."

"While we're on this subject, what exactly did you promise him in exchange?" Dean asked suspiciously.

"Not his freedom if that is what you are insinuating. I told him what is happening between Abbadon and the angels. And I told him that you were doing your best to bring her down. He knows that if you can't do it, no one can." Maria told them.

"And he's actually willing to read the translations? We've been trying for a year and a half and he just told you he'd do it after a couple of weeks?" Dean asked.

"It's amazing what a cup of tea and a good conversation will do, Dean. And he hasn't agreed to help us yet. I'll go talk to him in the morning while you boys are 'out'. I'll even keep my phone in my pocket the whole time and you can listen if it makes you feel any better."

Early the next morning, Maria prepared a cup of tea for Crowley while she warned the guys. "Don't you dare go and get a hero complex while I'm down there. I know what I'm doing so do not ruin it."

"We won't." Dean rolled his eyes.

"I still don't like this idea." Sam said.

"I'm not necessarily comfortable with it either." Cas told her. "But it may be our only hope."

"Easy for you to say, your boy…"

"Sam!" Maria shot him a threatening glare and he immediately stopped his sentence. She shook her head, exasperated, and left the kitchen. She called Sam and made sure he picked up before she thrust it in her pocket and entered Crowley's room.

"Good Morning, Crowley!" She said cheerily placing tea in front of him.

"Maria," He tipped his head in greeting. "Elected for coffee this morning? I could smell it as soon as you pulled open the doors."

"I needed something stronger this morning than tea."

"Trouble in paradise?" He mocked.

"You know I don't like talking about my relationship, Crowley." She warned gently.

He waved her off. "You don't actually have to tell me. I know you come down here because you're lonely and need an actual educated conversation."

Maria didn't comment, remembering that Sam was on the phone.

"Where is the big moose this morning anyway? Leave you again?"

"Well you're in a mighty fine mood this morning." She said dryly. "Sam is asleep. The last hunt took a lot out of the boys."

"Oh I'm sure." He rolled his eyes. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, sipping their drinks.

"I've decided to help you." Crowley said suddenly.

Maria's head shot up. "You have?"

"Yes. When I escape from this dungeon, I want to make sure I still have demons left to rule. And you can tell those wankers to leave Abbadon for me. I want her head on my wall." He growled.

Maria nodded, feeling it unwise to mention that Sam and Dean were more likely to kill Abbadon before he could ever attempt an escape.

"I'll be back with the translations." She left her coffee on the table and left the room.

Dean was smiling ear to ear when she entered the kitchen and closed the door with a soft click.

"You're amazing."

She blushed lightly and her eyes sought out Sam. He was smiling at her, and saw pride in his eyes, but she saw something else lingering. It looked like regret and sadness. She definitely did not like that.

Castiel handed her Kevin's translations with a grateful smile. Hers was only half-hearted.

She headed back downstairs to see Crowley waiting patiently for her. She placed the papers in front of him on the table and sat back down in her chair.

"Kevin was able to translate the tablet into multiple different languages, but we still haven't been able to find any type of clue to translate them to English." She explained. "There are different copies in that stack of the same thing, but in a different language. Can you read any of them?"

He flipped through a few before he stopped and raised one. "This one is Akkadian."

She was silent, as she let him work.

"It says, 'To return what has fallen, you must reverse the curse.' The next part is the spell and I can translate it into Latin. Do you have a pen?"

She handed one to him and he wrote it down.

"'Quia voluit angeli ceciderunt. Revertere ad caelum didicisse lectio.'" Maria sat contemplatively for a moment. "It was a spell that cast them out, and it's a spell to get them back in?"

Crowley slid all of the papers back to her. "I have done my part. I will not be thinking for you as well."

"Thank you, Crowley." Maria said sincerely. "You have no idea how much I appreciate you helping us."

"I didn't do it for them." He said begrudgingly.

She smiled at him warmly. "I'll be down tomorrow with a cuppa."

She closed his door firmly and went back up the stairs, mugs in hand.

"I can't believe he actually did it." Dean said in awe. "You have the King of Hell wrapped around your finger. How the fuck did you manage that?"

She placed the papers on the counter. "I have a way with words?"

"Tell me about it." Dean said.

"We still have some work to do." Castiel told them. "To reverse the spell, we'll have to have the same ingredients. We need a cupid's bow, the blood of a nephilim, and an angel's grace."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Dean asked him. "I thought you said you killed the only nephilim on earth?"

"We did. But with the angels being cast down, I'm sure more have been created." He said with a sharp tone.

"But they will only be children." Maria said in shock. "We can't kill a child."

"Nephilim are not human." Castiel explained. "There is a reason why the laying of an angel and a human is illegal, Maria."

Maria was about to argue but Dean cut her off. "We'll come to that when it's time. In fact, let's all take a break. Then we can discuss how to get these things."

Sam had stayed suspiciously quiet through the whole exchange. In a rush, he spun around on his chair and walked out of the room. They heard the door to the bunker slam.

Maria fought back tears and when Dean and Castiel looked at her with sympathy, she couldn't stop them from flowing freely down her face.

Dean was the first to pull her into his arms. He stroked her hair and whispered soothing things to her. She wasn't used to being the one comforted but relaxed in Dean's arms anyway. She worked on controlling her breathing and stopping the tears. Maria was usually able to keep her low self-esteem at bay and was alarmed that it was coming out so easily in front of Dean and Cas. Sam was the only one who had ever seen that side of her.

Once he felt like she had calmed down enough, he looked down at her. "I'm sorry he's such an ass."

The sound that came from Maria was a cross between a sob and a laugh. She lightly kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Dean. I'm going to shoot for a bit."

He nodded and let her go.

She emptied her quiver three times before she headed back upstairs. The bunker was mostly quiet, and Maria found Cas and Dean talking softly at the table.

Dean looked up from his conversation and shook his head. Sam hadn't been home yet.

"I made lunch." He tried.

"I think I'm just going to take a nap." She smiled at him. "But thank you." She headed into her own bedroom and crawled into bed. She didn't have the energy to be sad anymore, or angry for that matter. She just felt mentally and physically exhausted.

She woke from her fitful sleep when she felt the bed shift. Suddenly she was in someone's arms and immediately knew it was Sam. Unable to stop herself, she clutched his shirt and cried into his chest.

He just held her tighter and rubbed soothing circles in her back.

"I'm sorry." She cried. "Just don't be mad at me anymore."

"Fuck, baby, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself." He said in a strained voice. "I could never be mad at you. I haven't been here enough for you and I hate myself for it. It's practically forced you into Crowley's arms. I'll give up hunting. We can move out, get married, and have three kids and a dog. I just can't lose you."

Maria clung tighter to Sam. Her tears didn't stop but she felt more in control. "You aren't losing me you big oaf. And I would never ask you to give up hunting for me."

"Goddammit, Maria, look what it's doing to us! Dean said you were shooting for five hours today without a break. I disappeared without as much as a word!"

"So we need to work on communication then." She told him. "You'd all come home and just be so checked out from the trip that I was just worried. I was worried that the stress was getting to you all. We stopped talking; Dean and Cas have been fighting. That's why I kept going back to Crowley. I thought if I got him to help us, you and I would go back to how we were before the angels started going haywire again. I never meant to lie to you and I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"I'm so sorry baby. We'll get through this. I promise."

It was silent for a few minutes, both just content to be in the other's arms.

"Dean ripped me a new one about leaving." Sam said suddenly. "I think he likes you more than me. I haven't seen him that mad at me in a while."

Maria giggled. "I'll have to give him a kiss. Sam…" She began tentatively. "Would you be upset if I continued to see Crowley? Not that often, maybe once a week if that. I just actually enjoyed my conversations with him."

Sam frowned. "I am really not comfortable with it but if it makes you happy…I want him to know that I know. You can tell him that I'll be paying him a visit. And I want to know when you go down there. Just in case."

"I can live with that." She kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you too."

A few days later, they were about to set off to trap an angel. The plan was to trap the angel, find out information about any nephilims, and keep him locked up until they needed his grace. Maria was coming with them because it was bound to be an extended case. Kevin elected to stay at the bunker.

Maria decided to visit Crowley before they left. She let Sam know before heading down with a cup of tea.

"Maria, what a surprise. I thought you'd stop coming now that I gave you what you needed all along." He drawled.

She placed the mug in front of him with a warm smile.

"Sam knows."

"And the moose still let you come?" Crowley asked, genuinely surprised.

Maria nodded. "I can't come as often, but I told you that I enjoyed our talks, Crowley. Sam understands that. Although he said he was going to pay you a visit and I'm sure threaten you."

"I wouldn't expect anything different."

"We'll be gone for a while. I just wanted you to know, in case you get withdrawals." Maria grinned.

He rolled his eyes. "How ever will I manage?" He said sarcastically and then launched into a story about how Edgar Allen Poe sold his soul to him.

Maria listened until Sam called her back upstairs to leave.

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**I hope you enjoyed it! I was playing a bit off of the Season 8 finale with Crowley just wanting to feel love. He's found a friend in Maria who doesn't use him as a means to an end.**

**Anywho, please review! I'd really appreciate feedback!**


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